1 Samuel 4

1 And the word of Samuel is to all Israel, and Israel goes out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamp by Eben-Ezer, and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek,

The word of Samuel came to all of Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They set up camp at Ebenezer, and the Philistines set up camp at Aphek.

2 and the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and the battle spreads itself, and Israel is struck before the Philistines, and they strike among the ranks in the field about four thousand men.

The Philistines lined up for battle against Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.

3 And the people come into the camp, and [the] elderly of Israel say, “Why has YHWH struck us today before the Philistines? We take the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH from Shiloh to ourselves, and it comes into our midst, and He saves us out of the hand of our enemies.”

When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh here from Shiloh, that it may be here with us, that it might keep us safe from the hands of our enemies.”

4 And the people send to Shiloh, and they take from there the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubim, and there [are] two sons of Eli with the Ark of the Covenant of God, Hophni and Phinehas.

So the people sent men to Shiloh; from there they carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who sits above the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And it comes to pass, at the coming in of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH to the camp, that all Israel shouts [with] a great shout, and the earth is moved.

When the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all of the people of Israel gave a great shout, and the earth resounded.

6 And the Philistines hear the noise of the shouting, and say, “What [is] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they perceive that the Ark of YHWH has come into the camp.

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they realized that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines are afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp”; and they say, “Woe to us, for there has been nothing like this before.

The Philistines were afraid; they said, “A god has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before!

8 Woe to us, who delivers us out of the hand of these majestic gods? These [are] the gods who are striking the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.

Woe to us! Who will protect us from the strength of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with many different kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Strengthen yourselves, and become men, O Philistines, lest you do service to Hebrews, as they have done to you—then you have become men, and have fought.”

Take courage, and be men, you Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you. Be men, and fight.”

10 And the Philistines fight, and Israel is struck, and they each flee to his tents, and the slaughter is very great, and thirty thousand footmen of Israel fall;

The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. Every man fled to his house, and the slaughter was very great; for thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell.

11 and the Ark of God has been taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, have died.

The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 And a man of Benjamin runs out of the ranks, and comes into Shiloh, on that day, and his long robes [are] torn, and earth [is] on his head;

A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, arriving with his clothes torn and earth on his head.

13 and he comes in, and behold, Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way, watching, for his heart has been trembling for the Ark of God, and the man has come into the city and declares [it], and all the city cries out.

When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching because his heart trembled with concern for the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city cried out.

14 And Eli hears the noise of the cry and says, “What [is] the noise of this tumult?” And the man hurried, and comes in, and tells Eli.

When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What is the meaning of this uproar?” The man quickly came and told Eli.

15 And Eli is a son of ninety-eight years, and his eyes have stood, and he has not been able to see.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; his eyes did not focus, and he could not see.

16 And the man says to Eli, “I [am] he who has come out of the ranks, and I have fled out of the ranks today”; and he says, “What has been the matter, my son?”

The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. I fled from the battle today.” Eli said, “How did it go, my son?”

17 And he who is bearing tidings answers and says, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and also a great slaughter has been among the people, and also your two sons have died—Hophni and Phinehas—and the Ark of God has been captured.”

The man who brought the news answered and said, “Israel fled from the Philistines. Also, there has been a great defeat among the people. Also, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”

18 And it comes to pass, at his mentioning the Ark of God, that he falls backward from off the throne, by the side of the gate, and his neck is broken, and he dies, for the man [is] old and heavy, and he has judged Israel [for] forty years.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate. His neck was broken, and he died, because he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

19 And his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, [is] pregnant, about to bear, and she hears the report of the taking of the Ark of God, that her father-in-law and her husband have died, and she bows, and bears, for her pains have turned on her.

Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she knelt down and gave birth, but her labor pains overwhelmed her.

20 And at the time of her death, the women who are standing by her say, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son,” she has not answered, nor set her heart [to it];

About the time of her death the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or take what they said to heart.

21 and she calls the youth Ichabod, saying, “Glory has removed from Israel,” because of the taking of the Ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has gone away from Israel!” for the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22 And she says, “Glory has removed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been taken.”

She said, “The glory has gone away from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”